Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-31
TERMINATING A STRIKE.
READING EMPLOYEES PICK THEIR
FLlNrS AND TRY 1T AGAIN.


ing railroad, has issued call, which reads
as follows: 40 our brother Knights of La
Dor and workingmen in general: We, the
employees of the Philadelphia &c Reading
railroad, now on strike, respectfully ask
organized labor and laboring men in
general to refrain from seeking employ
ment on the Philadelphia & Reading
railroad or any of its branches in Philadel-
phia or any portion Of the Philadelphia 81
Reading system OF lines, as its employees ara
battling for the fundamental principles OF
organized labor, the right to arbitrate all
differences and the prevention of victimiza-
ton without just cause" This is signed by
the general officers Of the district assembly
READING. Pa, Dec Silt was $50 a. m.
Friday before the convention of Reading
employees ad journed, after having been in
session eight hours continuously. As the
meeting was a secret one the details are not
obtainable, but the final decision was to is
sue order for general strike at noon Friday.
Every man in the employ of the Reading
company, with the exception OF passenger
train crews, trackmen, signa[tower men,
and crossing watchmen, was to 60 on strike,
and fifteen minutes after the meeting the
signal was flashed across the wires to Phila-
delphia and Williamsport The order in
cludes not only the hands Of the main line
but over the whole system. 1t also includes
the shop men in this city, who took
the initiative in refusing to go out
early this week. thus breaking the back bone
of the strike at the time, and .every man of
whom belongs to the knights The resolu-
ton says that the men shall strike and re-
main out until the company shall agree to
arbierate ali differences.
A resolution was also passed offering re-
ward of s., 600 for the arrest of any person
who in any way destroys or Injuries any of
the company's property. By O'Clock Fri
day morning every delegate to the conven-
ton had left Reading and departed for home
There were exactly 1853 delegates in attend
ance.
A dispatch from Pottsville Friday stated
that Daniel Duffy, secretary of the Amalga-
mated Association of Miners, says the mining
| representatives were the conservative
element at the convention. When final &C.
ton came up on the strike the miners said
that the matter must rest with the railroad
men, to whom the whole question properly
belonged, and refused to take part in the
| final ballot declaring the strike. A motion
| was also passed asking the moral support OF
| the miners with whatever financial aid that
can be given.
| The miners held meeting after the adj
| iournment of the convention and decided to
give financial and moral support to the
strikers, and it was the general 'ntiment
among them that il the $ per cent. advance
is not continued after Jan l. they will strike,
| On
The United Press correspondent at Potts
vile still believes that even if the miners be
ordered to strike not more than half vii
strike. The official order to strike will not
much decrease the company's present work
ing force. Mine Hill, Auburn, Gordon, and
Pine Grove branch men, who have worked
steadily, are most by knights, and will not obey
the order to strike. The situation can alone
be changed by miners strike.
Pinkerton Detective Linden, who did such
great work here in Mollie Mcguire times, i.
in the coal region helping the coal and iror
police Capt Christian has increased hi.
force by the swearing in of 200 new men
who were doubly armed and Immediately sci
guarding the railroad and mine property.
General Superintendent Sweigard sale
Friday afternoon in reference to the strike
as is all right, and we are perfectly satisfied
with the aspect of affairs II the men hav.
been ordered out over the entire system,
would like to know when they will go out
At present we are getting along nicely, AM
the work is being done"
In the supperintendent's mail in the morn
ing was this threatening letter:
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 29.-O'KErN: II isnot neees
. / sary that I Shnuli wRStA m m
finding out your name to address you properly
but anything is good enough for cur like you
but - decidedly one word for ALL II you dom
let up on the gentlemen of Port Richmond by to
morrow at noon you will need the Pinkerton mel
on you instead of the eompany's property. S
prepare for the worst.
Signed Mum MUM
The envelope was addressed: "O'Keim
care of p & r. R. R. Co., Port Richmond
The detectives are looking into the matter.
So far as the men employed by the Read
ing in this city are concerned the order +
strike has fallen fat, and it may he conf
IDENTIFY stated that there will be no strik
here The strike on the main line is practi
cally at an end. There is absolutely no della,
anywhere, and coal and freight trains
although the traffic is light are being move
along promptly, Thus far not single cas-
of violence has been reported any where
The only thing that is causing alarm here i
the prospect of coal famine There
very little in stock anywhere. Local coz
dealers say there is not over 5000 tons i
Reading.
Elsewhere the situation is somewha
varied Reports received late Friday nigh
from various points in the Schuylkill Goa
bpr hot ba trot bar
on the Mahouy and Shamokin branch hav
nearly all gone on strike. This will seriousl
cripple the company, and prevent the shiI
ment of coal over that division for som
days
At Tamaqua everything was movin
smoothly, and long trains of empty coal car
were taken to the mines At WILLIAMSON
the employees were all at work, and freigt
trains were moving as usual. The officia
reported everything in good shape thus fal
At Shamokin the order to strike had no di
cernible effect up to noon Everything wa
moving along as usual But matters a
sumed a more belligerent aspect in the afte
noon The strikers were going around In
portuning boarding houses to refuse foo
and shelter to the men brought to fill the
places. 1t was reported the miners will r,
fuse to handle coal and load it in cal
brought by "scab" railroad men, Officials
the company claim that they have more tina
enough men to take the places of those dis
charged.
The Talk That Caused Haymarket.
NEW YORK, Dec. 3L-The Socialist
Volks Zeitung publishes an editorial in whie
it calls upon the workingmsn to let tt
"seabs" alone, and destroy the Corbin
Goulds, and other capitalists. 1t advises IL
use of dynamite, and openly advocates
slaughter of capitalists; calls for the tore
the bomb and hemp to strike the ma
ayers of corporations, and urges war of tt
classes. All being melted by the Readir
strike.
CoRBIN'S CIRCULAR TO MINERS.
LIE Calls Their Attention to q Contra
They Have Signed.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 3l-President Co
| bin of the Philadalphia Rr Reading IN